Surface-treating machine



A. A. CLARKE.

SURFACE TREATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 7, I920.

1 ,363 ,3 1 2. v Patented Dec. 28, 1920.

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UNITED STATES ALEX A. CLARKE, OF DALLAS, TEXAS.

SURFACE-'IREATIN G MACHINE.

Application filed February 7, 1920.

i '0 all 10 immz't may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEX A. CLARKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dallas, in the county of Dallas and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Surface-Treating Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to surface treating machines,

The invention has particularly to do with a machine having a rapidly moving surface treating member and means for driving the member; together with a support having an adjustment whereby the application of the member to the work is controlled by the operator while using the machine, the adjustment involving a stationary element on one side of the member and an adjustable element 011 the other side.

In carrying out the invention a supporting frame is provided at one side with stationary work sustaining means and at the other side with adjustable work sustaining means. A surface treating member, preferably in the form of a drum, but not neces sarily, is journaled in the frame between the stationary and adjustable work sustaining means. One of the important features is an exterior drive for the drum and this pref-' erably includes a motor carried by the frame and driving the drum by a train of gears or any other suitable connection. The frame may have handles for traversing it over the work. Suitable means is provided for operating the adjustable work sustaining means, whereby the drum is withdrawn from or advanced to the work, said means being under control of the workman while he is traversing the machine. The surface treating member may have a covering capable of doingthe particular Work desired when the machine is used.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which an example of the invention is shown, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine constructed in accordance with this invention. and

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same.

In the drawings the numeral 10designates a plate forming part of a supporting frame. At each corner of one end of the plate standards ll depend at right angles and a similar Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 28, 1920.

Serial No. 356,895.

pair of standards 12 are provided at the opposite end of said plate. On each side the standard 11 is connected with the standard 12 by a side bar 13 substantially parallel with the plate 10. The standards at each end are connected by a cross bar 14 in the same plane as the bar 13. The parts 10 to 14 inclusive form a supporting or carrying frame the particular formation of which ma be varied.

cylindrical drum 15 has a central shaft 16 engaging in the. side bars 13. The drum thus has the side bars at its ends and the end bars 14, at its sides. The drum has a broad smooth periphery and carries an annular member or sleeve 17 fitting snugly therein and formed of sandpaper, emery cloth, buffing cloth or other material, according to the kind of work which is to be done.

On the shaft 16 at one end of the drum a pinion 18, is secured. This pinion is driven by a gear .19 mounted on a stud 20 projecting inward from an upright 21 extending from the adjacent side bar 13 to the plate 10. The gear is driven by a pinion 22 mounted on the shaft of a motor 23 secured to the underside of the plate 10. The particular driving connection is not essential. By arranging the motor outside of the drum a simple and less expensive structure is had than where the motor and drum are combined and a positive operation of the drum is had. A switch and electrical circuit attachment 24 is mounted on the plate and has suitable connection with the motor and a source of electrical current supply.

In the outer ends of the standards 11 legs 25 are fastened and on their extremities carry feet 26 of some non-abrading material so as not to scratch or mar the work when brought into contact with the same. These feet terminate in a plane which is substantially parallel to the horizontal plane of the plate 10 and substantially tangential to the drum 15, so that when the feet 26 are brought into contact with the surface to be worked on, the drum will engage said surface as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2. Legs 27 are threaded through the standards 12 and carry feet 28 on their outer extremities. It will be readily seen that by adjusting the legs 27 the relation between the drum and the surface to be worked is controlled. Said legs 27 may be projected to the point where the said drum just engages the working surface, or they may be retracted so that the drum will bury itself and cut deeply into the surface being treated. It is obvious that the legs 27 should be adjusted in unison and should have their feet 28 in registration so that the drum will attack the working surface uniformly and evenly.

It is apparent that various means for adjusting the legs 27 might be provided. In the drawings I have shown a handle member comprising a tubular hand-grip 29 extending transversely of the plate on the opposlte end from the standards 12 and rotatably confined in brackets 30. The grip 29 has portions projecting beyond the brackets and carrying beveled gears 31 which mesh with beveled pinions 32 rotatably confined in bearing boxes 33 secured to the brackets 30. The legs 27 project up through the pinions and are threaded therein so that when said pinions are revolved said legs are moved longitudinally. The legs 27 are sultably held against rotation. At the opposite end of the plate a handle member 34;, having a transverse hand-grip 35 is mounted.

In using the machine the operator grasps the hand-grips 29 and 35, and after having manipulated the switch 24 to start the motor, he places the feet 26 and 28 against the surface to be treated and by turning the grip 29 the legs 27 are projected or retracted from the frame through the instrumentality of the beveled gears; thus the abrading or polishing action of the drum 15 on the surface may be regulated to a nicety. If the abrading sleeve 1? is not cutting deep enough or exerting sufficient pressure on the work the workman has only to rotate the part 29 to withdraw the legs 27, whereby the sleeve 17 is let into the surface, but if the sleeve is cutting too deep or acting too sever'ely on the surface the part 29 is revolved in the opposite direction whereby the legs 27 are projected and the drum withdrawn. The pitch of the threads on the legs 2'? and the ratio of the gears and pinions are such that only a slight rotation of the part 27 is necessary to obtain anadjustment of the drum, but not so rapid as to prevent a very minute adjustment. The operator moves the machineover the surface being treated and thesleeve 17 removes the material from the surface or of the surface according to its adjustment It is obvious that the sleeve mightbe a grinding member or a polishing member, but in the latter case considerable skill would be necessary on the part of the workman in passing the machine over the surface in order to get a smooth and even job.

It will be seen that the machine may be used to work on surfaces in all positions to which access may be had. In treating the surfaces of a body the top, sides, ends and bottom, both inside and outside, may be efliciently worked on, provided there is rooni for the machine. The machine is at all times under the direct control of the workman and owing to the high speed of revolution of the drum the work may be expeditiously performed.

The foregoing description and illustration clearly express the invention, but it is to be understood that said illustration is merely an exemplification and the invention may be carried out in various ways.

lVhat I claim, is:

1. A surface treating machine comprising, a table top, standards secured to the table top at its corners, lower horizontal strips connecting the lower ends of the standards, an inclosed motor mounted upon.

the table top, a rotatable surface treating element secured to the lower horizontal strips, a vertical bar arranged between the standards and connecting the lower strip and the table top, gearing connecting the motor and rotatable surface treating element and carried by the vertical strip, legs i carried by the standards upon one side of the machine, vertically adjustable legs carried by the standards upon the opposite side of the machine, bevel gears having screw-threaded engagement with the upper end of the vertically adjustable legs and being held against vertical displacement, a horizontal rotatable handle arranged between the bevel gears, bevel gears secured to the ends of the horizontal handle and en gaging the first named bevel gears, and a second horizontal handle connected with the table top near the opposite end thereof.

2. A surface treating machine comprising, a table top, standards secured to the table top at its corners, a motor mounted upon the table top, a rotatable surface treating element arranged beneath the table top and connected with the lower portions of the standards, driving connecting means between the motor and the rotatable surface treating element, legs carried by the standards upon one side of the machine. vertically adjustable legs carried by the standard upon the opposite side of the machine, bevel gears arranged above the table top near one end thereof and having screwthreaded engagement with the upper end of the vertically adjustable legs, a rotatable transverse horizontal handle disposed above the table top between the gears and near one end of the table top, bevel gears secured to the opposite ends of the handle and engaging the first named bevel gears, and a second horizontal transverse handle arranged above the table top near its opposite end and secured thereto.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

ALEX A. CLARKE. 

